REVFAIL · FAILURE: Reversing the Genealogies of Unsuccess, 16th-19th centuries

FAILURE: Reversing the Genealogies of Unsuccess, 16th-19th centuries

Failure is almost everywhere, and unsuccess is deeply embedded into stereotypes about regions, nations, business, gender and race. Failure to embrace crucial philosophical ideas and scientific breakthroughs is often considered a key factor to explain differential paths of development. And historical, long-term narratives add an additional layer to notions of failure. Built in into accounts of the past, ideas on failure are naturalized and projected into the future. But while failure is conspicuously referred to in public debate, and in local and global politics, it nevertheless remains an obscure and elusive notion. How is it possible that a concept often used to relegate and marginalize individuals and whole communities is so ill defined? This project not only aims to solve this question but also to offer innovative perspectives that may enhance individuals and groups to debate and redress the intellectual constructions of failure and their real-life consequences. The dynamics between inclusiveness and the failure to integrate is not only a key social problem of our present, but also one with deep historical and philosophical roots. Discourses on failure are present in many aspects of contemporary societies, and range from those regarding the individual entrepreneur, to programs to minimize the failure of regional economies at the expense of larger and more populated areas, and ideas on international leadership. But quantitative approaches to development and integration need to be supplemented with critical awareness of the consequences of attributing failure to groups, individuals or even nations (sometimes as a covered synonym in racist and Eurocentric discourse). Inclusiveness, and integration in all social institutions are challenges that demand reassessing the criteria used to identify failure. At the same time, it is necessary to promote a clear understanding of the temporary nature of failure and the possibilities of reversing and challenging it. These reversals are both a matter of fact and the result of changes in social conceptions of success, taste and well-being. While failure is a heavy and paralyzing category, a concept crafted to perpetuate colonial dominion and legitimize inequalities, positive psychology, engineering and philosophy among other disciplines have nevertheless pointed to several positive aspects and effects of failure and recovery. This project fosters broad reflection on the topic and to provide critical tools for schools, associations and community structures to analyse and revert self-imposed and external narratives of failure. REVFAIL aims to analyse the different philosophical, anthropological and artistic values associated with failure and its long-term historical consequences. In addition to these scientific objectives the project has four additional civic and objectives: —Offer resources and performative tools with which to contextualize, analyse and de-articulate social, ethnic, religious, racial and gendered discourses of failure. —Foster the social inclusion of groups and individuals stigmatized as unsuccessful. —Offer new means of dealing with differences in integration using innovative perspectives on life-time achievements and long-term, intergenerational goals. —Reassess regional, national and social stereotypes linked to unsuccess and backwardness in Latin America and the Iberian Atlantic.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union